'Canned hunts' call for better regulation

In the past few years, Ohio has waged war against natural predators - namely Asian carp in Lake Erie and the emerald ash borer in the state's trees. Sometimes, it doesn't feel like a fair fight. The carp wreak havoc on the Buckeye State's waterways, eating much of the plankton that native fish need. The ash borers kill trees that populate parks, backyards and wooded areas throughout the landscape.

But another unfair fight continues in Ohio, one that puts deer, elk and other animals in fenced-in preserves and sends "hunters" out to harvest them. There are 518 such high-fence hunting areas in the state, ranking Ohio fourth in the country for them. It's no wonder deer hunting is a million-dollar business each year.

The hunt isn't much of a hunt at all. Essentially, it comes down to money. If you've got the cash, you can get the deer or elk you always have wanted to bag.

As most avid hunters know, however, there is a vast difference between hunting on a fenced-in preserve - even if it is 700 or more acres - and hunting in the truly unfettered wild, despite what proponents of so-called "canned hunts" say. Sure, people who fork out cash get to pursue their game, but the odds often are stacked in the hunter's favor. Some preserve owners use legal - but ethically questionable - tactics, such as motion-activated cameras to track animal patterns and planting specific crops to attract the bucks to a certain spot. It's not difficult to see the difference in the approaches.

Add to those concerns ones about domesticated deer that don't fear humans, concerns about chronic wasting and other diseases and a lack of regulation on the preserves - clearly the need for some type of uniform guidelines is evident.

That's why, as a recent Indianapolis Star and Media Network of Central Ohio series pointed out, Congress should amend the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act or the Animal Welfare Act to better regulate the hunts going on inside the fences. The Lacey Act also must be kept intact to allow for prosecution of people who violate the law. States also can look at their laws and increase the number of random checks for disease and property inspections.

At a time when the captive-deer industry is pulling down regulations, it's time to create common standards to ensure they play by the rules and make sure they are doing all they can to stop disease from spreading.

The existence of the deer hunting preserves is an arguable topic. What's not arguable is the state's obligation to make sure the industry adheres to ethical standards and does it's best to be good neighbors to the sportsmen of the state.

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'Canned hunts' call for better regulation

In the past few years, Ohio has waged war against natural predators ? namely Asian carp in Lake Erie and the emerald ash borer in the state's trees. Sometimes, it doesn't feel like a fair fight.